After Dark: The Great Clancer War
Chapter 4: Leads and suspicion
"The castle is just up ahead, Link!" exclaimed Tac. Link winced his eyes to see a large stone castle up high on a grassy hill. Odd looking trees with Clancer faces were planted in front of the fortress. Several red flags with the Clancer face were blowing in the wind on the castle walls.
"Not what I was expecting, but it's a good start," said Link. "Let's go!" The two of them sprinted through the meadow.
"Oh I can't wait to see the king again! I know he misses me!" said Tac excitedly.
"You've met the king before?" asked Link.
"Of course I have! Every Clancer knows the king! All Clancers are given a blessing by his majesty at birth! Without that blessing, we are not allowed to call ourselves Clancers."
"Wow, this planet must be really small. What is the population of Esperance?"
"Um, I think it's around 500."
"Yeah, that's small."
"No it's not! 500 people? Do you know how many soldiers that is?"
"Not that many."
"Just you wait Link! You'll see. There are plenty of us to fight in the war."
"Assuming the Empire is short of troops, too."
"Okay, if you keep that up I will officially disown you as a friend."
"You don't know how lucky I'd be if that happened." After some more walking, the two stopped. "Um, Tac. What is that?"
A dark figure was standing before the castle gates. The Clancer was short and his face was covered by a yellow cap on his head. His fists were up as if he were ready to throw a punch. The figure stood still on the grass and eyed the pair.
"You are the warrior who slew that beast earlier today, are you not?" said the shadowed figure. Link was hesitant to respond.
"Uh, yes." Tac did not react.
"Then you are to come with me. The king wishes it," continued the stranger.
"King Aster? Really?" said Tac.
"Tac, what are you doing with the warrior?" asked the figure.
"Um, uh. I'm giving him a tour of Esperance! He's enjoying it, aren't you Link?"
"I guess so."
"So, your name is Link?"
"Yes, and who may I ask are you?" The Clancer tipped his cap upwards so that his facial features could be seen.
"My name is Teran. I was sent by the King himself to recruit you." For some reason, this Clancer seemed more bulkier than the ones Link met before. He had spiked blonde hair that poked out under his yellow cap. Link could have sword he'd seen this guy somewhere before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Teran continued bouncing back and forth in a fighter stance as if he was about to fight someone.
"Don't act so formal, Teran. Link isn't intimidated by you at all!" said Tac.
"Wait, the King knows about me?" asked Link.
"Yes, he does. As a matter of fact, the entire Resistance army knows about you. News travels very fast in our world."
"Yeah, because it's so small."
"That's not the point. You are coming with me." Link shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright, if you say so." He and Tac followed the Clancer into the stone castle.
"So, Teran. How have you been lately?" asked Tac out of boredom. Teran did not turn to them but continued walking through the corridors.
"I've been fine," he replied.
"Oh. Good. Good." Tac was feeling awkward in the silence. Link took the opportunity to study the interior of the castle. The walls were made up of strong grey stone which held up various pictures of royal family members. The trio walked along a red carpet which seemed to lead to nothing. Some guards who were standing by gave a suspicious stare at Link. He averted his gaze whenever he felt one of them were looking at him.
"I feel welcomed already."
"The throne room is just up ahead," said Teran. He swung open the large doors in front of them. Link was blinded by a flash of white light, but his eyes quickly adjusted. They followed the red carpet into the large room. Link didn't feel all that impressed though. This castle was no where near as fancy as Hyrule castle. King Aster sat in his throne and watched the trio kneel before him. Link was a little slow to react, but he managed to do it before anyone noticed. Princess Ondine sat in the throne next to her father. "Your majesty. I bring you, the Green Warrior," said Teran boldly. Link looked up at this.
"Where did this nickname come from?"
Jistr was standing off to the side and hopping up and down rather excitedly.
"Oh this is wonderful! The Green Warrior! Here in our castle! It is an honor to finally meet you!" he said. Link just smiled uncomfortably at him and looked at the princess. She turned away when she noticed his gaze on her. Link turned away as well.
"Thank you, BLOCKMAN," said the King. "Please stand, my boy." Link realized he was talking to him and he slowly got to his feet. "You are the one who saved Esperance from that rampaging monster?" asked the King. Link nodded his head.
"Yes, uh, your majesty," he replied.
"That is very impressive. It takes nearly 200 of my men to destroy a beast like that, but you were just on your own. You have been blessed with a gift."
Link did not reply.
"Such a gift should not be overlooked for such a worthy cause. You have ben selected to join my soldiers in battle against the Empire. Although, I'm sure Teran already told you about that."
"He did not."
"Oh, well then I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. As you've probably seen, our people are a dying race. This war is tearing us apart from the very foundation we stand upon. If the Empire should overthrow us, Clance will become engulfed in an endless sea of flames. Our world will cease to exist." Link paused for a moment and pondered this.
"This doesn't have anything to do with me. Why should I risk my life for their mistakes? But I can't just turn away from them if they need me. What kind of a hero could I call myself if I just walked out on them right now? Okay. I'll join their army. But when Sonic come back with the Chaos Emeralds, I'm getting out of here. Sounds like a plan."
"I see what you mean sire," started the Hylian. "It seems that my only option right now is to fight along side you until this war is over. I think we can come to an agreement."
"What are your terms?"
"I'm looked for my friends. Two males and one female. All of them are human. Have you seen anyone like that?" The King paused before responding.
"Only three humans have lived on this planet their entire life. That is quite a rarity especially when Clance lies near the out reaches of the galaxy. However, there was a woman in the castle earlier today. She said she was looking for someone."
"Really? Could...Could I see her?"
"Hm, I suppose so. Jistr!"
"Yes my Lord!"
"Fetch the girl."
"Right away sir!" Jistr ran to one of the side doors and left the room.
"My daughter found her out in the garden this morning. We're not sure how she got there."
"Should I tell him about the Chaos Control? No, I need to speak with Samus about that first."
Link was having a hard time grasping the situation. Everything was moving so fast he could barely keep up with it. What started out as a rescue mission to save Zelda ended up as a rescue mission to save an entire race or people. And they were just in Raccoon City a few hours ago! Link put a palm to his head and massaged his temple. The stress was starting to soak in. He had to save all these people from destruction while at the same time locate his lost friends. He didn't even want to think about what Zelda was going through back at home. If only Leon were here... Link remembered that he still had Leon's phone number. But who knew if these Clancers even had phones. He wouldn't even be able to get here anyway. The memory of those undead monsters sill lurked in the back of Link's mind, gnawing at his sense of sanity. Why was it so difficult for him to keep his priorities in check?
"Ahem, your majesty. You said that there were three other humans. Who are they?" Link asked.
"My boy, those three are the proud generals of my army. They will be leading my warriors into combat on the final day."
"And you said they've been living here their whole life?"
"Yes, however, they never used to be fighting on the side of justice. At one point in time, those three used to fight for the Empire... But that's something else entirely that I'll let you look into on your own."
"Your majesty," said Tac holding up two yellow tickets. "Would you be interested in buying these lovely tickets to Clan Ball Land? They're on sale right now!" The King chuckled to himself before replying.
"No thank you, Tac. But how about you go explore throughout the castle? I'm sure you'll find someone who will buy those tickets from you." Tac gave a solemn bow.
"Thank you, your majesty." With that, Tac slowly walked out of the room, but not before giving Link a good-bye wave. Link waved back uncomfortably before turning to Teran.
"Man, what is with that guy?" he asked. Teran didn't find the question hard to answer at all.
"Don't worry about him. He's always been like that. Tac's the kind of guy who appears to be in more than one place at one time."
"I can believe that."
"Your majesty!" said Jistr as he walked into the room. "I present to you, the lovely Samus Aran!" Link turned his attention to the door. Samus stepped out behind Jistr. She looked about the room quickly before noticing Link. The two locked eyes and stared at each other for a few seconds.
"Link..." She ran over to him and embraced him. "I knew I'd find you!" she said. Link laughed.
"I was thinking the same thing!" She let go and whispered into his ear.
"So, any news on the others?"
"No," replied Link quietly, "But I did run into Sonic earlier."
"You did? What did he say?"
"Tell you later."
"Is this the person you were looking for?" asked King Aster.
"Yes, your majesty, thank you very much for finding her for me."
"Think nothing of it, my boy. We Clancers do everything we can to help those in need. Unfortunately, I don't know the whereabouts of your other two friends."
"It's okay. I know you've done everything you could. As long as Samus is safe, I'm happy." He put an arm around her waist and she smiled.
"Your highness, if it's not so much to ask, I would like to speak with Link in private," said Samus.
"That is no problem at all. That room over there should do just fine," responded the King as he gestured toward the door Samus and Jistr entered.
"Let's go," said Link as he led her to the door. The room grew deathly silent after the sound of a closing door. Aster coughed to himself. Teran adjusted his cap before speaking.
"Your majesty, is it really safe to trust these people?" he asked. Aster paused before replying.
"Why of course it is. What makes you think they can't be trusted? He saved Esperance from destruction."
"That may be your highness, but that doesn't mean that he might not be working for the Empire. What if he's a spy sent by Leo himself?"
"That's impossible. Where could Leo ever get a warrior so powerful? They even said that they have no idea how they ended up here."
"My point exactly. What if the Empire got to them first?" Aster paused again and pondered this. It was a possibility. Link and Samus could very well be working under the Empire as spies. And it fits perfectly in line with the start of the war. The defeat of the monster could have just been used as bait for the Resistance to fall for. Aster rapped his fingers on his throne a few times.
"Jistr," he started.
"Yes, your majesty?" replied Jistr as he stepped in front of him.
"Get Ron and Sarie in here. I need to know if there is anything else they know about our guests."
"Right away, sire." Jistr bowed and ran out the large double doors at the back. Ondine stirred uneasily in her seat. If Samus really was a spy, it would have meant that she nursed the enemy. Even worse, the enemy knew Ondine's whereabouts. It would only be a matter of time before she'd be reported to Leo. Then the dreaded army would come for her. She felt faint and began to slouch in her seat.
"Ondine, is everything okay?" asked her father.
"I don't feel so good," she replied slowly.
"BLOCKMAN, take her out for some fresh air."
"Yes, your majesty." Teran went up to the throne and led the princess down the steps.
"This way, Celes," he said as they walked to the back doors.
"Thank you, Teran." As they left, Jistr re-entered with Sarie and Ron by his side.
"Samus, you have no idea how glad I am that you're safe," said Link as he hugged her again.
"Okay, no ned to get mushy here. You had your chance five minutes ago," she replied as she moved from his touch. They were standing in an empty corridor. Another red carpet led down the hall and curved around the corner. More royal family members' portraits hung from the grey walls. The occasional potted plant or table lined the wall very now and then. Link rubbed the back of his head and smiled.
"Heh. Sorry," he said.
"It's okay. Now, what were you saying about Sonic?" Link started pacing up and down on a portion of the red carpet, Samus standing off to the side.
"Oh yeah, Sonic," he started. "He's not sure himself about why we ended up here instead of home like we were supposed to."
"I've been trying to figure that out myself, but those Clancers haven't given me many options to work with. They won't even let me out of the castle."
"Well, I may have a hypothesis to why we got stuck here."
"Shoot."
"Have you seen the time rifts outside?"
"The what?"
"Outside there are large black patches in the sky. These people refer to them a "time rifts." They have the power to bring the past into the present. That is how the Empire is summoning monsters. They are bringing them from the past when they ruled."
"And that's what all the fuss is about you killing that beast."
"Yes. Now, just hear me out. We came from the past and moved to the present, correct?"
"Yes."
"The time rifts cause things from the past to be brought into the future. They must have somehow intercepted Sonic's Chaos Control and caused it to go hay-wire, resulting in us being stranded on an alien planet. And it explains why we've all been separated from each other."
"I see how you figured it out," she said as she leaned on the wall, "But it still doesn't explain why we were sent here instead of somewhere else. If what you say is true, we could have ended up anywhere from here to the mansion back home."
"Exactly. Which is why there is still hope for Snake and Ike to be home already. Well, that's my theory anyway."
"It's pretty accurate if you ask me."
"Thank you." Samus got off the wall and stood in the middle of the carpet to face Link.
"So, you've agreed to fight with them in the war?" she asked.
"Yes," replied the Hylian as he continued to walk back and forth.
"That was my guess. You can't miss the opportunity to be heroic can you?"
"No, but I tried."
"But there's a better explanation behind it right?"
"Um, yeah. Not only will we be able to help these people, but we can also buy Sonic some time to find the seven Chaos Emeralds. That, and it gives us a chance to find Ike and Snake if they're here."
"So that's how you see it. But you know, there is the risk that we could be killed."
"I know. It is a risk we have to take. I mean, come on, we survived Raccoon City didn't we?"
"Link, that was different. We weren't in a war, we were fighting for our lives. Too many people were killed for the sake of others. I...I don't want to think about it."
"Oh, sorry."
"Besides, these people don't need us do they? The King did say he had an army. Why should we risk our lives for them?" Link stopped walking and faced down the hall ,away from Samus.
"Samus, look around you." She did, but didn't understand what he meant.
"What?"
"These people couldn't hurt a fly if they had the chance. Do you see any guards in these hallways? Did you see any in the throne room?" She shook her head, but realized he wasn't looking at her.
"No."
"Do you know how many soldiers were killed by that monster? Over 200. And just by one monster. You couldn't imagine an army of those things."
"Well, maybe the monster was too strong."
"How was I able to defeat it all on my own without breaking a sweat then? I could see their knees shaking. The fear in their eyes. Samus, these people are afraid to die. They are afraid of war. They were not meant to carry swords in their hands. They are a peaceful race, and the Empire has dragged them into this. If we don't help them, they will die; the King, the princess, everyone." Samus didn't respond to this but paused.
I had no idea..." she said quietly looking down at the ground. Link turned around and walked up to her so that they were standing face to face.
"I know you didn't. But that doesn't mean we can't do anything about it now. We don't need another Raccoon City on our hands." Samus looked up at him. It was like Raccoon City. Except, instead of the all-consuming T-Virus, it was the dreaded Empire they had to worry about. And in both cases, large masses of people were all killed. She folded her arms around herself as she remembered the mindless freaks following her up the city streets. The dead look in their eyes, the dark stare of evil. She shivered. For some reason, the corridor had become extremely cold. Link put out a hand to her. "We can save these people, but only if we work together. I need you with me," he said. She studied his gloved hand for what seemed like a half hour. The Triforce of Courage glowed gallantly on the back of his hand. She brought one of her hands to meet his. His heat circulated into her body as they connected, the stress of the city leaving wit the cold. A warm smile appeared on her face.
"Okay, Link," she said.
"Come here." They hugged again, this time longer. The mood had all of a sudden returned to them. Samus wanted to stay in this position forever, but reality called them back as Link let go. "They're probably wondering what we're doing," he said. "Let's head back. Samus nodded and followed him to the door leading back to the throne room. The sound of familiar voices ringed through Link's ears as he propped the side of his head up against the door. Samus stood behind him, a queer look in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Shh! Listen." Samus got low and put her ear against the door. The voices were muffled, but the words could still be made out.
"...that's still not enough information," said Teran.
"We need to be certain if Link is truly on our side."
"Teran! Look at me! Would I lie to you?" replied Sarie.
"Could you at least give him a chance?" asked Ron.
"I suppose we could, but we need to be sure he's not working for the Empire. Teran, you will be appointed as Link's guide until this issue is over," said Aster.
"And Samus, my lord?" asked Jistr.
"Sarie. I'll put you in charge of that."
"Yes sir."
"So, it is decided that these two humans will are not to be trusted permanently, until they can prove themselves on the field of battle."
"Yes sir."
"Jistr, go and check on them please."
"Indeed my lord!" Link and Samus stood up when they heard footsteps coming towards the door.
"Quick! Act natural!" she cried.
"Wait how?!" She grabbed Link's face and pulled him into a kiss. At that instant, Jistr opened the door. He jumped back in surprise when he saw the two. Samus and Link had their eyes closed.
"Um...Am I interrupting something?" asked the servant nervously. The couple opened their eyes slowly, trying to act surprised at his intrusion, and pulled away from each other.
"Um, no. We're fine," said Samus. Link was too stunned for words as he started daydreaming with a stupid grin on his face.
"Oh, well good. The King would like you back inside..." he said as he walked back into the throne room. Link snapped out of his trance and looked at his girlfriend.
"That was awesome," he said.
"You better be grateful. I don't just give away my kisses for free," she replied as they stepped in. Link closed the door behind him, the feeling of Samus' warm lips still fresh on his.
"Ah, my boy, good to see you again," said the King. Link went to the centre of the room with Samus and the others and bowed.
"Always an honor, my lord."
"Quite. Now, after a series of complex decision making, we have finally come to a conclusion." The room went silent.
"It has been decided that you will fight along side my ranks. However, you will be accompanied by BLOCKMAN Teran. He will be your guide as you traverse the field of battle and train under our generals. The same goes for you, Miss Aran, but Sarie will be your companion." Samus bowed her head.
"Pardon me, your majesty, but who?" she asked.
"Sarie, behind you," said the King. Samus turned around to see the pink Clancer behind her.
"You?" asked Samus.
"Yep, nice to meet you," replied Sarie.
"Same here."
"Wait, what's all this for?" asked Link. "We don't need guards."
"They are not your guards. They are my eyes. In all honesty, you two are suspicious of working for the Empire. This is the safest way to ensue that you don't turn on us."
"You really think I work for the Empire?"
"You have been accused. It does not mean its true. Fighting with us only proves that we share common enemies. However, should I ever find you turning traitor, we will have no choice but to exterminate you. Do I make myself clear?" Link and Samus nodded. "Good. Jistr!"
"Yes my lord!"
"I want you to set up some rooms for our guests. It's what they deserve for helping us so far."
"Right away sire!" Jistr ran out of the room again with speed that seemed to rival that of Sonic.
"Teran and Sarie, I want you to introduce our guests to the Beast Sector. They should know who they wil be training under."
"Understood, sire," said Teran as he bowed his head. "This way you two." He and Sarie led the humans out of the room. Link and Teran walked beside each other as Samus and Sarie did the same. They walked down the corridors in silence for a bit before Link started a conversation.
"You know, I don't think this is really necessary," he said. Teran didn't look at him but continued walking.
"I don't trust you, you know," he said.
"What?" replied Link.
"I don't trust you. You may be staying in the castle, but that doesn't mean you are one of us. If you value your life, you better stay away from the princess." Link backed off.
"Okay, okay. Sheesh, someone's in a grouchy mood today."
"Don't mind him, Link," said Sarie. "Teran's always like that." Teran gave her a glare before facing forward again.
"Why does the King call him 'BLOCKMAN Teran'?" asked Samus.
"Oh, that's because Teran has the BLOCKMAN blood in him," responded Sarie.
"What's that?"
"When Teran was born, the legendary BLOCKMAN hero who saved our planet from destruction in ancient days infused his soul into Teran's body. He had the only body strong enough to support a spirit as powerful as BLOCKMAN. Because of this, Teran has the ability to transform into BLOCKMAN any time he wants."
"That's not true, Sarie and you know it," said Teran arrogantly. "I haven't been able to transform into BLOCKMAN because of her."
"Who?" asked Link.
"None of your business who."
"Oh, Marina? Well she's not here anymore, so you don't have to worry about her. You've got me now!" chimed Sarie.
"I know. Except Marina was a better fighter than you'll ever be."
"Haha! You're funny, Terry!" she giggled. Teran was getting annoyed.
"Look, let's just show these two to Lunar before I lose my mind. Am I the only one who cares about the future of this kingdom?"
"Doesn't the King care?" asked Samus.
"Oh he does, believe me. But sometimes he makes decisions that he regrets. That's why I always have to be there to confirm whether what he's thinking is a smart thing or not."
"That's not good."
"Of course it's not good. This war would already be lost if it wasn't for me."
"Tha'ts understandable."
"Okay, stop now."
"What?"
"Humoring me."
"Uh, okay..." Suddenly, an explosion could be heard outside. The ground was shaking uncontrollably. Link nearly lost his balance.
"What the hell was that!?" cried Teran. A lone Clancer guard turned the corner and sprinted towards the group.
"Teran! Come quickly!" he cried. "Princess Ondine is in danger!"
"What?! How can that be!? I told her to stay in the garden!"
"She is! but the monster found a way to get past the wall! You must hurry!" Without hesitation, Teran dashed down the corridors.
"Nows your chance to prove yourselves, humans!" said Teran as he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
"Um, what does he mean by that?" asked Samus.
"He means he wants us to help destroy whatever is in the garden," replied Link. "Come on, the princess needs us!"
The group sprinted down the hallway attempting to follow Teran's path. Pictures and faces blew by Link's head as he maneuvered through the halls. Eventually they came to a door leading to the garden.
"There it is!" cried Sarie. Link burst through the door. He was blinded briefly by the sunlight but soon made out the large figure in the garden. A giant worm was thrashing about, crashing through trees, plants, stones and wood structures. Teran was off to the side, the princess crouched behind him screaming.
"Link! Do something!" he cried. Upon hearing this, the Hylian sprung into action. He drew out his sword and slashed across the face of the beast when it got close. Blood spurted from it's face as it was sent flying into the stone castle wall. Samus ran up behind him, but Link put an arm out to block her.
"I can handle this thing," he said calmly. The worm was still stunned from the attack. Link ran up and performed a finishing blow. He leapt up into the air and stabbed the worm in the heart, pushing his entire body weight into the attack. With a final cry, the ugly beast fell to the ground and disappeared into the soil. Link taunted by swinging his sword around professionally and seething it. Everyone went silent. Teran couldn't ring the words to speak.
"That was..." he started.
"-Fast," finished Samus. "You barely put up a fight for that thing."
"I know," said Link, "What do you think I've been telling you?" Sarie and the guard gave an applaud.
"Amazing! Just like what happened last time!" she cheered. Ondine was a little stunned as Teran helped her to her feet.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes, I...Thank you," she replied nervously. Link smiled in return.
"Any time."
"Well, Green Warrior. Your reputation precedes you. I'm impressed," said the Clancer.
"Thank you. That's just what I wanted to hear."
"But don't think you're off the hook yet. I'm watching you." With that, Teran led the princess back into the castle. Sarie patted Link on the back.
"Don't worry about him. He's just jealous because he can't fight nearly as good as you," she assured. he Hylian nodded in agreement.
"That's probably it." Sarie walked back into the castle followed by the guard.
"Jistr should have your rooms up by now. Please, come this way," she said entering the door. Samus and Link looked at each other before walking to the door. He stopped in front of the door and turned around to face the castle wall.
"Link, something wrong?" asked Samus. Link's ears pricked at a strange scratching sound, but it soon disappeared as quickly as it came. He shrugged his shoulders and faced her.
"Uh, nothing. Come on, let's go. I want to see what they have in store for us."
"Me too."
They went in and closed the door behind them. A cloaked figure stood atop the castle wall and looked about the garden. It's white cape was fluttering in the wind. A bird-like mask was covering it's face. The figure stood tall with perfect posture. Nothing could disturb it's stance. With a low cough, the creature spoke out loud.
"So, this is the strength of the Green Warrior. Snake was right."